Seizure continues against staff of Ivanishvili linked bank

Seizure continues against staff of Ivanishvili linked bank

Nodar Javakhishvili, former bank director, thinks the government's action has to do with a recent donation of his to the opposition Georgian Dream party. (IPN.)

TBILISI, DFWatch – The bank accounts of the director and seven employees of Cartu Bank were seized today. The bank is known as being connected to the opposition Georgian Dream bloc.

Nodar Javakhishvili today told journalists that the seizure has connection to a donation of money to Georgian Dream.

When Bidzina Ivanishvili was fined USD 45 million and refused to pay the fine, his 100 percent stake in Cartu Bank was seized and put up for auction. But no one purchased the asset. Then the bank was transferred to temporarily compulsory management. Bidzina Ivanishvili later paid the fine in order to help victims of the hailstorm in eastern Georgia, so the bank management was restored with its old employees and director.

As a compensation, Javakhishvili was given 20 000 lari. He says he donated 17 000 lari to Georgian Dream.

Georgian legislation allows individuals to donate not more than 60 000 lari to a political party, while it allows the State Audit Office to track donations and decide any the transfers are illegal.

All eight persons were today called to the State Audit Office, and Javakhishvili says they presented official documents about the money origins. He says the other seven persons also donated money that were taken from their compensation.

“But Mogeladze still argued that we couldn’t confirm our money’s origins. In addition, one employee who has a salary of 3 700 donated only a hundred lari to the coalition, and how can one not prove money origins while having such a high salary?” he asked.

Tbilisi City Court will review the case tomorrow at 10:00 am.

According to Georgian law, the court has the right to fine all these people five times the amount they donated, which will be 1 100 000 lari, or nearly USD 60 000 000.